STACK #158 Dec 2017

TECH FEATURE

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Razer’s Cynosa Chroma is their latest gaming keyboard to tempt you with pretty lights. Words Alesha Kolbe Razer Cynosa Chroma

F eaturing gaming-grade keys and a spill resistant design, the Cynosa Chroma is a solid, affordable keyboard for any kind of gamer. It’s durable and one of the most customisable keyboards in Razer’s range, thanks to the new Razer Synapse 3 software. Synapse 3 allows you to turn the gaming mode on or off – which will disable the windows button, Alt-Tab and Alt-F4 at your discretion – and of course, play with the lighting. You can alter the brightness of the Chroma backlighting and set whether the lights turn off when the monitor display is off. The best part of Synapse 3 is the new lighting configurations – making use of Chroma’s 16.8 million colour combinations has never been so fun. There are new effects to play with; you’ve still got

the likes of the long-standing Wave and Breathing effects, but a new favourite is Fire, which throws off a captivating perception of licking flames. The membrane keys are in a great sweet

spot of resistance, and the Fn keys across the top light up when you’re holding down the button. The hardware could do with a wrist rest, but aside from that it’s a bona fide safe bet, entry level keyboard.

Astro A20

Astro have just released a new headset – the A20s.

C omfortable – and more provide excellent immersive sound, covering all ends of the spectrum. The wireless headsets come in different units compatible with Xbox One, PS4 or PC, and we secured the PS4/PC unit to play with. The headset connects via a dongle that’s a bit on the large side as far as wireless adapters go, but not overly inconvenient. The dongle connects to the PC via a micro- USB – that’s also how the headset itself charges, and the optical cable connects for the PS4. Astro’s A20s have a 15-hour battery importantly, durable – the A20s feature 40mm drivers that

life; we put them to use in the STACK office for two days without charging, and the battery didn’t go flat. The low latency allows for zero dropouts, and we never experienced a falter in sound. The Astro Command Centre is helpful for customising your EQ settings. The mic on the side simply flips out of the way when you’re not using it, and the volume dial is conveniently positioned on the rear of the right cup. Drawing upon Astro’s vast experience in the headset marketplace, the A20s offer comfort and quality at a price that won’t completely break the bank.

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DECEMBER 2017

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